Nearly three decades after shaking up the airwaves with their fearless blend of alt-rock, punk, and pop, Alien Ant Farm are once again flipping the script. The Riverside, California veterans have officially signed with Judge & Jury Records, the powerhouse label and production company founded by multi-platinum producer Howard Benson (My Chemical Romance, Seether, Skillet) and Three Days Grace drummer Neil Sanderson.
For a band that’s always thrived on unpredictability, this move feels both natural and thrillingly fresh. “Signing to Judge and Jury is a true blessing for us,” the band shared in a release. “Neil was very vocal about making something happen… we are confident that this opportunity will yield a great chapter for Alien Ant Farm and everyone involved. Cheers to the future!”
Benson and Sanderson echoed the excitement, calling frontman Dryden Mitchell “a truly unique vocalist” and adding, “Our team is so stoked to see what we all can create for Alien Ant Farm’s next release.”
From “Smooth Criminal” to New Horizons
If you were anywhere near a radio in the early 2000s, you couldn’t escape Alien Ant Farm’s infectious spin on Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal.” The song—alongside their breakout single “Movies”—propelled their 2001 album ANThology to multi-platinum status and cemented the band as one of the era’s most distinctive voices in alternative rock.
Since then, Alien Ant Farm has continued to evolve without losing their edge. From TruANT (2003) to mAntras (2024), their catalog shows a group unafraid to experiment, weaving metal, punk, prog, and pop into something unmistakably their own.
With the 25th anniversary of ANThology approaching in 2026, this new partnership feels like a full-circle moment—a merging of legacy and reinvention.
The Power of Judge & Jury
For those unfamiliar, Judge & Jury Records has become a creative hub for artists looking to fuse commercial muscle with artistic freedom. Benson and Sanderson’s track record reads like a who’s who of modern rock, and their collaboration with Alien Ant Farm could signal a new era for the band’s sound.
Benson’s production style—polished but never sterile—could be the perfect foil for AAF’s raw energy and humor. As Benson and Sanderson put it, "Dryden is a truly unique vocalist and I've always wanted to work with him. Our team is so stoked to see what we all can create for Alien Ant Farm next release. They are truly one of the hardest working and unique bands in our genre!" The chemistry here feels almost inevitable.
Still Going Strong
Alien Ant Farm are currently writing new material and hitting the road, reconnecting with longtime fans while winning over new ones with their kinetic live shows. If recent tours are any indication, they’ve lost none of their spark, only sharpened it.
As they step into this new chapter, one thing’s clear: Alien Ant Farm’s story isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about momentum. Here’s to the next evolution of Alien Ant Farm; still weird, still wild, and still rocking like it’s their first van tour.
